Eugene Alfred

Eugene Alfred

Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Eugene Alfred

Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Eugene Alfred

“For the past 30 years, I have been painting and carving northwest coast art.”

For me, art is always opening an opportunity to go through new experiences and to let more stories to be heard. I have been inspired by my uncles, Roger and Jerry Alfred, who in turn, learned our stories from my grandfather and other elders in our community. Increasingly, I am taking that direction with my pieces, finding my own unique experiences in my homeland.

For the past 30 years, I have been painting and carving northwest coast art. My first teacher was Dempsey Bob (Taltan/Tlingit Artist) in 1986 and I later worked with Ken Mowatt (Gitxsan Artist) for 4 years between 1991-1995. Doing native art has been a dream come true and an important way to express myself. After all these years doing northwest coast art, I am finally finding a style that I can call my own.

Receiving a REVEAL Indigenous Art Award will give me the opportunity to carve and bring back "dance sticks" for our dance group "Selkirk Spirit Dancers" and our community of Pelly Crossing. These dance sticks were once used in our community feasts and potlatches about 80 years ago. They were taken from original home of Fort Selkirk and put into museums around the world. They were taken from our community when people were out on the land. These dance sticks are an important missing link to our past and the future of our young people. These dance sticks will be hand carved with homemade tools and use yellow cedar wood.

Eugene Alfred is a Tutchone/Tlingit carver and painter from central Yukon.